Further protests against the closure of Postbank branches
The trade union Verdi is once again calling for protest actions due to the planned closure of almost half of Postbank branches. According to a statement on Monday, Verdi is expecting several hundred employees to attend general works meetings this Tuesday (November 14) in Giessen in central Hesse and on Thursday (November 16) in Oldenburg.
Deutsche Bank, to which Postbank belongs, announced at the end of October that it would close up to 250 of the 550 Postbank branches currently still in operation by mid-2026. The head of Private Customers, Claudio de Sanctis, referred to analyses showing that three quarters of Postbank customers hardly ever visit a branch. There is "no way around" job cuts, the manager recently told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS). The bank is negotiating the exact figures with employee representatives.
Together with the General Works Council of Postbank Filialvertrieb AG, Verdi is calling for "measures to safeguard jobs" and an early extension of the protection against dismissal under the collective agreement. Currently, compulsory redundancies at Postbank are excluded until January 31, 2024.
The ongoing protests against Postbank branch closures have also prompted discussions among local banks, expressing concerns about potential impacts on their businesses. Despite Deutsche Bank's justification for branch closures, citing infrequent branch visits by Postbank customers, Verdi is pushing for measures to protect job security and an early extension of the collective agreement's dismissal protection.
Source: www.dpa.com
